Sub menu

Category: Ballot Access (June)

On February 28, Secretary of State Debra Bowen added Stephen Durham to the list of generally recognized candidates in the June 5 presidential primary. Now Peta Lindsay is the only candidate still excluded from the Peace and Freedom Party ballot.

Referring to the joint press conference and rally scheduled for February 29, Peace and Freedom Party State Chair C. T. Weber wrote:

… the Secretary of State added Stephen Durham to the list of generally recognized candidates. He was sent a letter today announcing Debra Bowen’s ruling. That will change the focus of the demonstration to putting Peta Lindsay on the ballot. I still think that we need to move forward with the media alert. FSP [Freedom Socialist Party] can claim victory but won’t be satisfied until Peta Lindsay is placed on the ballot. I think PSL [Party for Socialism and Liberation] must pursue a writ of mandate or other legal actions as possibly the only way to force Debra Bowen to put Peta Lindsay on the ballot.

Earlier in the afternoon a staff member in the Secretary of State’s office gave this explanation in an email to a reporter:

Since the list of generally recognized candidates was released on February 6, Stephen Durham mailed a Statement of Candidacy to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) postmarked on February 6, which was received by the FEC on February 10. Therefore, his name has been added to the list of generally recognized candidates: generally-recognized-president-2012.pdf.

This press release was prepared by the Freedom Socialist Party. The Peace and Freedom Party is a co-sponsor of the press conference and rally on February 29.

NEWS RELEASE

February 27, 2012

Contact: Doug Barnes (206) 985-4621, (206) 326-9771

For release: Immediately

Socialists protest exclusion from California primary

When California Secretary of State Debra Bowen released the names of presidential candidates to be listed on the ballot for the June 5 state primary, she omitted two of four candidates submitted by the Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) electoral coalition: Stephen Durham of the Freedom Socialist Party (FSP) and Peta Lindsay of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL).

The decision met with immediate objections from all three parties, who demanded that Bowen reverse course and add the names to the list, as she is legally required to do. Thus far she has refused and the Freedom Socialist Party is pursuing a legal challenge.

The Peace and Freedom Party will confront the Secretary of State here Wednesday for omitting two of the party’s candidates from the presidential preference primary ballot. Supporters are expected to carpool to Sacramento from different parts of the state.

At the press conference, The Freedom Socialist Party will announce plans to sue Secretary of State Debra Bowen to reinstate Stephen Durham to the Peace and Freedom Party presidential primary ballot. Speakers on behalf of the Peace and Freedom Party, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Socialist Party, National Lawyers Guild, Radical Women, the L.A. March 4th Committee to Defend Public Education and Social Services and others will also testify to growing public support for socialists on the ballot.

After a short rally, protestors will deliver petitions to Bowen’s office that demand she immediately reinstate Stephan Durham and Peta Lindsay to the Peace and Freedom Party presidential ballot.

For 36 years, the California Secretary of State has listed the all of the candidates on the ballots for small party presidential primaries. However, in this presidential election, Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State, has excluded two of the Peace and Freedom Party’s four candidates. She also excluded some of the American Independent Party’s candidates from their primary ballot. [Note: an earlier version of this article said “Libertarian Party” rather than “American Independent Party”. We regret the error.]

To Secretary of State Debra Bowen: List all the declared candidates for the Peace and Freedom Party presidential nomination--Stephen Durham, Stewart Alexander, Peta Lindsay, and Rocky Anderson--on their primary ballot.

The following press release and statement were issued by the State Central Committee of the California Peace and Freedom Party on February 8, 2011.

MEDIA RELEASE

February 8, 2012

For further information: C.T. Weber (916) 422-5395
or (916) 320-9186

SECRETARY OF STATE LIST OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
CALLED "UNLAWFUL" AFTER PARTY’S CANDIDATES
LEFT OFF JUNE 5 PRIMARY BALLOT

SACRAMENTO – The Secretary of State’s office has omitted two of the four Presidential candidates on the Peace and Freedom Party’s primary ballot – and the independent party is demanding to know why.

A NEWSCONFERENCE is scheduled at 10 a.m. Thursday (2-9-12) at the SOS office (11th & O Streets) to provide details. Peace and Freedom Party State Chairperson C. T. Weber will be present.

SOS Debra Bowen has yet to respond, and in a statement issued today, Weber cites Elections Code sections that specify how presidential primary candidates are supposed to be selected by the Secretary of State, and suggests that code sections covering other parties may have improperly been applied to the Peace and Freedom Party candidates.

Register and vote

To vote on November 6 you must register by October 22. You can do so online if you have a valid drivers license or DMV id card. When you register to vote, please register with the Peace and Freedom Party.

To see your ballot and find information on all the candidates, visit Smart Voter.